Pasture Program Technical Coordinator
Center for Sustainable Agriculture
UVM Extension
23 Mansfield Avenue Burlington, VT 05401-5933 (map)
Center for Sustainable Agriculture
UVM Extension
23 Mansfield Avenue Burlington, VT 05401-5933 (map)
Dr. Alvez is an agronomist with emphasis in sustainable agriculture. He comes from a beef and sheep family farm in Rivera, northern Uruguay. He arrived in the United States in 2003 to earn his Master’s degree at the Plant and Soil Sciences Department, University of Vermont, which he completed in 2005. Beginning work as a Ph.D. student in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources/Gund Institute in 2006, Juan has been working on the bioregulation model, researching the carbon fluxes in ecosystems under the Moore Foundation Grant’s MIMES Project. Most recently Juan has been working on the outreach program for the same project.
In addition to working under the Moore Foundation Grant (MIMES Project), Juan actively collaborates with other projects at the Gund Institute, such as participating in organizing the Costa Rican atelier in March, 2007, which was supported by the Bluemoon Foundation Grant. He worked on the fundamentals and brainstorming of the “Declaration of Heredia on Payments for Ecosystem Services”, a paper explaining the results of the Costa Rican atelier.
Juan also calculated the Costa Rican atelier’s carbon footprint where it was possible to determine the emissions by participant and by three-tier activities. Furthermore, upon presenting the results in class, it was decided to offset the carbon dioxide emissions by investing in Costa Rican forests. At the same atelier, he co-authored a paper to study the problem of implementing a National Payments for Ecosystem Services Policy in Brazil. The paper was submitted in July of 2007 to the Ecological Economics Journal.
Among his academic achievements, Juan is pursuing both the Ecological Economics and Ecological Design Certificates offered through Gund Institute and has completed all the required courses for both Certificates. In the Spring semester of 2008 he will be co-teaching Sustainable Food Production. His dissertation interest is focused on sustainable farming in relationship to ecosystem functions and services, particularly the cultural evolution and the carbon sequestration comparison of grazing methods.
Since 2003, Juan and his wife, Ursula, have run a volunteering program called “Free Box” in their local community. The program consists of making people aware of responsible consumption, waste reduction, as well as re-using, repairing, and recycling useful things.
In addition to working under the Moore Foundation Grant (MIMES Project), Juan actively collaborates with other projects at the Gund Institute, such as participating in organizing the Costa Rican atelier in March, 2007, which was supported by the Bluemoon Foundation Grant. He worked on the fundamentals and brainstorming of the “Declaration of Heredia on Payments for Ecosystem Services”, a paper explaining the results of the Costa Rican atelier.
Juan also calculated the Costa Rican atelier’s carbon footprint where it was possible to determine the emissions by participant and by three-tier activities. Furthermore, upon presenting the results in class, it was decided to offset the carbon dioxide emissions by investing in Costa Rican forests. At the same atelier, he co-authored a paper to study the problem of implementing a National Payments for Ecosystem Services Policy in Brazil. The paper was submitted in July of 2007 to the Ecological Economics Journal.
Among his academic achievements, Juan is pursuing both the Ecological Economics and Ecological Design Certificates offered through Gund Institute and has completed all the required courses for both Certificates. In the Spring semester of 2008 he will be co-teaching Sustainable Food Production. His dissertation interest is focused on sustainable farming in relationship to ecosystem functions and services, particularly the cultural evolution and the carbon sequestration comparison of grazing methods.
Since 2003, Juan and his wife, Ursula, have run a volunteering program called “Free Box” in their local community. The program consists of making people aware of responsible consumption, waste reduction, as well as re-using, repairing, and recycling useful things.